Telstra and JB Hi-Fi will launch Google’s much-ballyhooed new Pixel phone range in Australia on Thursday – the same day the new models are being launched in a number of countries worldwide.
The launch comes at a propitious time for Samsung Note 7 fans, who are turning in their handsets following Samsung’s recall of the sometimes risky phones.
The Pixel line is the first Google has designed and built itself. Former Google-approved phones, like the Nexus were made by other companies, with Googles’s imprimatur.
Powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 821 paired with 4GB worth of RAM, teh new Pixels run on a special version of Android 7.1 Nougat.
The Pixel and Pixel XL are “phones built for virtual reality” according to Google, which could give them a considerable lift in global salesrooms. Both support Google’s VR platform Daydream, expected to provide an immersive 3D experience of movies, concerts and sporting events as though Pixel users were physically there.
Daydream on Android 7.1 Nougat will also let them play games and explore new worlds. Both Pixel phones re said to work with Google’s Daydream View VR headset.
Telstra says it will offer both phones in silver or black finish. Customers can grab a 5-in. 32GB Pixel on a $95 Go Mobile Plus or My Business Mobile plan.
Previous announcements have put the outright prices at JB Hi-Fi and Google’s online store starting at A$1079 for the basic model, and as much as $1269 for the Pixel XL.
